Many folks like Renaissance wax..... I'm not a fan of it. I dislike any of the waxes that have a strong chemical base and how they act/react with var...

Probably the best advice I can offer is what I always try to drive home to my students.... when you grind, whether it be the blade or the guard/handle...

There are a several different types of trizact belts. Not sure which ones you ordered, but they each have some pretty unique characteristics. Person...

In my early days of Bladesmithing I grabbed just about any book that even hinted at Knifemaking or Bladesmithing, but quickly realized most of them we...

While it's not unusual to drop your work piece, it is very important to hold it securely. AMEN TO THAT Lin! I still carry a scar on m...

I agree with Tim..... for Bladesmithing, where we deal a lot with "flat" barstock, Off-Set blade tongs are some of the best tong you can use. I...

Standing, with your hammer hand in a loose fist, your knuckels should touch the face of the anvil. This height makes hammer more comfortable, but mor...

I'd say that if you're going for you JS, don't try to do anything "fancy". The performance blade is all about the performance, not the looks. Obviou...

However what if I showed up with a wootz steel/ True/crucible Damascus blade? this is a single steel that naturally has the patterning of a Damascus b...

To add to what Brion said, don't even show up to either phase of the JS testing (practical or presentation) with anything that even looks like damascu...

Wow! Only relining once a year? I was lucky to get 6 months when I was using a kawool forge for Damascus. I can't say if it's any longer lasti...

How much force will it take to bend if the entire blade is hardened and tempered? That's one of those catch 22 questions.... nearly impossible ...

New videos available! Tim and I have decided that we're going to go with posting 1-2 new video per week. Generally when Tim uploads a new video,...

I don't do stainless damascus....at least not the layered variety. I can, and have done it, but the reason I choose not to is because as I mentioned, ...

As a run of thumb, 5160 simply "doesn't play well with others", meaning that you'll likely experience a higher rate of failure welding then if you cho...